Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an engine unit formed by unitizing an engine part configured to scan a carriage having a recording head jetting a liquid drop of recording liquid in a main scanning direction and conveying a recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, so that an image is formed, and a keeping and recovering mechanism configured to keep an operating state of the recording head forming the engine unit, the keeping and recovering mechanism being provided at a rear side of an apparatus main body.

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an engine unit provided in an apparatus main body including a carriage on which is mounted a recording head configured to jet a liquid drop of recording liquid, and a sub tank provided in or at the carriage together with the recording head and configured to supply liquid to the recording head, the carriage being movable along a front and rear direction of the apparatus main body; 
 an operation part provided at a front side of the apparatus main body and arranged above the engine unit, the operation part being configured to supply a designated instruction to the apparatus main body and display designated information; and 
 a keeping and recovering mechanism configured to keep an operating state of the recording head of the engine unit, the keeping and recovering mechanism being provided at a rear side of the apparatus main body which is an opposite side of the operation part in the apparatus main body; 
 an encoder wheel provided at the front side of the apparatus main body and configured to detect a moving amount of the recording medium conveyed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the apparatus main body; and 
 a cartridge receiving part arranged at the front side of the apparatus main body, the cartridge receiving part being connected to the sub tank of the engine unit by a liquid supply tube and being configured to detachably install a recording liquid cartridge and to supply recording liquid in the recording liquid cartridge to the sub tank through the liquid supply tube, 
 wherein both of the removal direction of the recording liquid cartridge from the cartridge receiving part and the removal direction of the engine unit from the engine unit receiving part are the direction toward the front side of the apparatus main body. 
 
   
   
     2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a driving source of a main driving system configured to move the recording head forming the engine unit, the driving source being provided at a front surface side of the apparatus main body. 
 
   
   
     3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a recording tube is provided at a frame member provided at an area out of a moving area of the carriage, the recording tube being configured to send recording liquid from the cartridge arranging part to the sub-tank. 
   
   
     4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an engine cover which can be opened and closed so that the engine unit is detachably installed in the apparatus main body; and 
 a cartridge cover which can be opened and closed so that an ink cartridge can be exchanged, 
 wherein the engine cover and the cartridge cover are provided separately at the front surface side of the apparatus main body. 
 
   
   
     5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an ink storage part provided at a front portion of the apparatus main body; and 
 a cover provided at the front surface side of the apparatus main body and configured to be opened and closed so that said recording liquid storage part can be replenished with ink. 
 
   
   
     6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 wherein a recording medium discharge tray is provided above the engine unit, 
 the recording medium, on which the image is formed by the engine unit, is conveyed in the sub direction to the recording medium discharge tray, and 
 a scanner is provided above the recording medium discharge tray, with the recording medium discharge tray being sandwiched by the engine unit and the scanner. 
 
   
   
     7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main direction of the recording head is from one of the front side and the rear side of the apparatus main body to the other of the front side and the rear side of the apparatus main body. 
   
   
     8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein both of the operation part and the encoder wheel are provided at the front side of the apparatus main body. 
   
   
     9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the operation part is configured for user designation of an instruction to be supplied to the apparatus main body. 
   
   
     10. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an engine unit provided in an apparatus main body including a carriage on which is mounted a recording head configured to jet a liquid drop of recording liquid, and a sub tank provided in or at the carriage together with the recording head and configured to supply liquid to the recording head, the carriage being movable along a front and rear direction of the apparatus main body; 
 an operation part provided at a front side of the apparatus main body and arranged above the engine unit, the operation part being configured to supply a designated instruction to the apparatus main body and display designated information; and 
 a keeping and recovering mechanism configured to keep an operating state of the recording head of the engine unit, the keeping and recovering mechanism being provided at a rear side of the apparatus main body which is an opposite side of the operation part in the apparatus main body; 
 an encoder wheel provided at the front side of the apparatus main body and configured to detect a moving amount of the recording medium conveyed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front and rear direction of the apparatus main body; and 
 a cartridge receiving part arranged at the front side of the apparatus main body, the cartridge receiving part being connected to the sub tank by a liquid supply tube and being configured to detachably install a recording liquid cartridge and to supply recording liquid in the recording liquid cartridge to the sub tank through the liquid supply tube, 
 wherein both of the longitudinal direction of the engine unit receiving part and the longitudinal direction of the cartridge receiving part in the apparatus main body are arranged substantially parallel to each other along the front and rear direction of the apparatus main body. 
 
   
   
     11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an engine unit provided in an apparatus main body including a carriage on which is mounted a recording head configured to jet a liquid drop of recording liquid, and a sub tank provided in or at the carriage together with the recording head and configured to supply liquid to the recording head, the carnage being movable along a first direction of the apparatus main body; 
 an engine unit receiving part provided on one side of the apparatus main body in the first direction and configured for the engine unit to be attached to or detached from the one side of the apparatus main body; and 
 a cartridge receiving part arranged at the one side of the apparatus main body, the cartridge receiving part being connected to the sub tank of the engine unit by a liquid supply tube and being configured to detachably install a recording liquid cartridge and to supply recording liquid in the recording liquid cartridge to the sub tank through the liquid supply tube, 
 wherein both of the detaching direction of the recording liquid cartridge from the cartridge receiving part and the detaching direction of the engine unit from the engine unit receiving part are the direction toward the one side of the apparatus main body. 
 
   
   
     12. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an engine unit provided in an apparatus main body including a carriage on which is mounted a recording head configured to jet a liquid drop of recording liquid, and a sub tank provided in or at the carriage together with the recording head and configured to supply liquid to the recording head, the carriage being movable along a first direction of the apparatus main body; 
 an engine unit receiving part provided on one side of the apparatus main body in the first direction and configured for the engine unit to be attached to or detached from the one side of the apparatus main body; and 
 a cartridge receiving part arranged at the one side of the apparatus main body, the cartridge receiving part being connected to a sub tank by a liquid supply tube and being configured to detachably install a recording liquid cartridge and to supply recording liquid in the recording liquid cartridge to the sub tank through the liquid supply tube, 
 wherein both of the longitudinal direction of the engine unit receiving part and the longitudinal direction of the cartridge receiving part in the apparatus main body are arranged substantially parallel to each other along the first direction of the apparatus main body.